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Heimdall's Observatory was located just outside Asgard and was connected by the Rainbow Bridge. The Observatory generated and directed the Bifrost using the energy that ran through the Rainbow Bridge. From the Observatory, Heimdall commanded the Bifrost and looked over the Nine Realms and other regions of space. It was considered one of the most important places in all the Nine Realms.

During the Second Dark Elf Conflict, Heimdall committed treason in order to allow Thor, Loki and Jane Foster to escape to Svartalfheim. After Loki faked his death during a fight with the Dark Elves, he stripped Odin of his power, sending him to New York City and subsequently disguised himself as Odin, seizing the throne. As Odin, Loki charged Heimdall with treason, forcing Heimdall to abandon his post and flee. Loki then assigned Skurge to be the new gatekeeper, tasking with one important duty – to notify him if Thor ever returned.[1]

Contents

History

Bifrost Guardian

Thor and his companions travelled to the Observatory in order to journey to Jotunheim, and later Odin banished Thor from Asgard from within the Observatory.

Loki's Deception

Heimdall opened the Bifrost for Thor's friends when they journeyed to Midgard to bring back Thor. When Loki became regent after Odin falls into the Odinsleep, Heimdall was relieved of his duties as gatekeeper and his citizenship of Asgard was revoked by Loki, and was subsequently imprisoned in ice by the Casket of Ancient Winters. Loki travelled to Jotunheim and brought Laufey and two other Frost Giants to Asgard to assassinate Odin. The two Frost Giants were told to guard the Observatory and the frozen Heimdall. Hearing Thor's shouts to open the Bifrost, Heimdall managed to break free from the ice, slay the two Frost Giant sentries, and bring back Thor and his friends to Asgard. Loki then opened the Bifrost to destroy Jotunheim, but Thor fought him, and ended up breaking the Rainbow Bridge and the Observatory fell into the abyss of space. Loki then refused to accept his father's help and fell into the wormhole that the broken Observatory formed with the Bifrost.[2]

Reparation

Heimdall witnessed the uprising of the Marauders who sensed the absence of the Asgardians' presence and the Bifrost, as well as Frigga locating Loki and learning of his plans. Without a Bifrost to prevent the war, Odin sought out the Tesseract in order to use its energy to repair the Bridge and the Observatory. And so, he mustered dark energy to transport Thor to Earth. After Thor returned to Asgard with the Tesseract and Loki, Heimdall used the Tesseract's energy to repair the Observatory and once again was able to open the Bifrost, and Asgard's troops were sent across the Nine Realms to defeat the Marauders.[3]

Thor visited Heimdall at the Observatory after the war to visit Jane Foster and to bring her to Asgard when they discovered the Aether in her. After the Dark ElvesinvadedAsgard, Odin ordered the Bifrost to be shut down. As part of Thor's plan, Heimdall summoned Odin and Tyr to the Observatory to distract them from Thor and Loki escaping Asgard. Afterwards, Thor returned to stay on Earth with Foster.[4]

Kree Detection

From the Observatory, Heimdall saw a Kree arrive on Earth and reported it; Sif was sent to investigate. Later, Sif called Heimdall so that she and the Kree named Vin-Tak could go to Asgard before sending him to Hala.[5]

Loki's Reign

Heimdall's Banishment

After the Avengers had succeeded in defeating Ultron, Thor called upon Heimdall to bring him back to Asgard so he could begin his search for the Infinity Stones.[6] Unbeknownst to Thor, Loki had dethroned Odin as king and exiled Heimdall in act to ensure his reign over Asgard.